Training 8/18 - 8/24...and the Award for Most Improved goes to...

Being selected Most Improved was a special individual award because when I speak to young people I always try to tell them the importance about it's not where you start but where you end up. -- Kevin Johnson

So when I was freshman in high school, I joined the cross country team.  And I sucked.  I was slow...but it wasn't so horrible because there were 7 girls on the team and they only counted the first 5 finishers per team.  I was basically irrelevant, unless one of the faster girls broke a leg or something on the course.  But I stuck with it and kept training - mostly because I liked the team and liked running...not so much because I liked being at the back of the pack.  (I've clearly gotten over that drama.)  But at the end of the season, they actually started using my score (I was #5), and at the team bonfire, I got an award from the coach -- Most Improved -- and my varsity letter.  I was so proud, I hung the award in my room and I still have it, all these years later, in a box in the attic.  I might have to go dig it out after I finish this post.

This morning, I did the metric mile swim in the Peluso Open Water Race Series...and I finished.  I was slow, but so much good happened.  I swam against the current - twice!  I didn't stop swimming - not to back stroke, not to rest, not to hang on a kayak.  I swam the entire 1500 - all by myself and, at least in my mind, I was strong.  OK, so the results point out that I am slow.  Back of the pack, even.  But the cool thing is that my coach came over to me afterwards and told me how much improvement he's seen in my swimming.  And then on Facebook (because, y'know, that's where important stuff happens), he mentioned again that I've come a long way.  Since I'm a grown-up now, there's no real award for Most Improved, but I'm taking that honor for myself.  You can't even begin to know how proud I feel about it.  Plus it's a huge confidence booster going into the HIM.  I can swim.  I can swim strong.  I can do it.

And on that happy note, training minutiae for the past week:

Sunday 8/18 - REST (headache)
Monday 8/19 - 60 minute swim (Masters)
Tuesday 8/20 - BRICK 26 minute bike, 8.6 mile run (1:47)...major suck fest
Wednesday 8/21 - 55 minute swim (Masters)
Thursday 8/22 - 47 minute run (Garmin dead, no mileage data)
Friday 8/23 - 30 minute OWS (Masters)
Saturday 8/24 - 90 minute bike (25.86 miles)

Training levels a little low for this week.  I had to move one of my big workouts to the coming week due to family obligations.  After this though, the levels start coming down as the race approaches.